Machine for mixing road material and the like



June 26, 1928. 1,675,151

T. J. BARRETT MACHINE FOR MIXING RO AD MATERIAL AND THE LIKE Original Filed June 28, 1925 2 Sheets-sheaf 1 fndenion flVzomasJFarreZij June 26, 1928.

. T'. J. BARRETT MACHINE FOR MIXING ROAD MATERIAL AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Jun 28, 1925 Patented June 2 192s.

- UNITED STATES,

THOMAS 3'. BARRETT, OF IBORDEN'IOWN', NEW JERSEY;

MACHINE FOR MIXING ROAD MATERIAL AND THE LIKE.

Application filed Juneas; 1923, Serial No. 648,196. Renewed meal," 21, 1925.

I .My invention relates to apparatus employed for the mixing of road-building.

material where it is desired to thoroughly incorporate the mineral ingredients thereof 5 with anazgphaltic or bituminous binding material,.with or without the addition of a special solvent for such binding material, which solvent is burnt out and serves to heat the road material in order that all of the ingredients thereof may be thoroughly incorporated before such material is placed upon the road-bed.

I aim to provide a simple and effective.

mixing machine (which may be powerdriven) wherein road material can be rapid ly and thoroughly agitated. and mixed, so as to coat each particle of mineral aggregate with binding agent. In the embodiment of my invention here shown and described, I accomplish this by moving or carrying the material back and forth in the mixing chamber, by means of mixing blades, disrupting it and bringing the parts together in new relations. The material may be lifted, dropped, and thrown about the chamber in such a way as not only to assist in mixing its ingredients together, but also to bring all portions into contact with the air and thoroughly aerate the mass. This assists in gasifying or vaporizing the solvent above mentioned (when employed), and renders the solvent readily susceptible of be-- ing burnt out to heat the material, as above described.

I also aim to facilitate discharge of material from the mixing chamber, as well as the complete cleaning out ofythe latter. In the machine here shown. the discharge takes place through a'movable door centrally lo- 40 .cated at one side of the mixing chamber,

substantially above its bottom,-where a wheelbarrow (for example) can convenient- 1y be placed to receive the mixture. The discharge in this manner may be effected merely by the continued operation of the mixing blades after the door is opened, without the necessity of tilting the mixing chamber. As here shown, the mixing blades are so arranged and of such a character as to completely clean the interior surface of the mixing chamber. so that'the whole body of the mixture can be completely discharged.

These and other features of my invention are more fully described hereinafter; reference beinghad to the drawings, in which body 2, having Figure 1, is a longitudinal sectional view of a mixing chamber within the scope of my invention.

Fig. 2, 1s a cross sectional view, on the line II-II, Fig. 1;.and,

Fig. 3, is a side elevation of the mixing chamber.

My improved mixing chamber is preferably mounted upon a fragmentary portable structure which may also carry driving means. such arrangement is not essential however, and the mixing blades may be hand-driven if desired. As illustrated in the drawings herewith, my improved apparatus may comprise a tank or receptacle 1, mounted upon a suitable frame work or wheels 3. This bod may also carry a prime mover, which may be any ordinary-type of internal combustion engine, indicated by dotted lines at 4. Through the medium of suitable gearing indicated at 5, 6, 7 and 8, and a clutch element 9, a shaft 10, passing through the mixing chamber 1, may be driven, and with it the several mixing blades, as hereinafter described. As indicated, this shaft may be hand-driven, with or without the interposition of gearing, by attaching a crank handle thereto.

The tankll, provides a suitable mixing a chamber, and the shaft 10 passing through the same may be journaled in bearings 11 and 12, carried by suitable supports 13 and 14, mounted on the body 2 of the apparatus. If desired, the wall of the mixing chamber 1-.may be hollow, providing a space 15, and the products of combustion and gases exhausting fromthe engine 4 may be delivered to the space 15 (when employed), to afford some heat during the mixing operation. 7

' The mixing chamber 1 is preferably semicircular in cross section, and the shaft 10 may carry at each end, adjacent to the end walls of said chamber, apair of cutting and scraping blades 16, which. I have termed plows; the function of which is to scrape from the curved wall of the chamber 1, as well as said end walls, the material within the chamber, in addition to, lifting and thoroughly agitating thesame. Said plow blades 16 are so shaped and disposed as to have a tendency to move the material agiv tated and scraped from the end walls of the I mixing cham side and around one endto lift the material-with a free end toward the mixing chamber periphery, as shown. I

Intermediate the sets of plow blades 16 at the ends of the mixing chamber 1 are a series of other mixing blades of a special type, indice-ted at 17, angula-ry distributed about the axis of rotation, each of said blades 17 being adjustably carried by an arm 18 secured to the shaft 10 by .clamp members 19. The arms 18 may have'toothed seats 20 for engagement by similarly toothed portions 21 of the blades; said arms being slotted at 22 for the passage of retaining bolts 23, permitting adjustment of the blades 17 with respect to said arms.

These blades 17 are of a special shape and character (as more clearly set forth in my pending application, filed Nov. 2, 1921, Serial No. 512,394) having an outline substantially rectan lar at one end, toward the giir periphery andcurved at the opposite end, the curved portion extending at one side beyond the opposite rectangular portion. As 'shown in'Fig. 1, this lateral extension is adjacent the axis of rotation 10 and toward the mid-region of the mixin chamber. In other words, these blades 1 are rightand left-handed in opposite ends of the'chamber, as indicated in Fig. 1. In addition, the acting face of each blade is hollowed out in planes substantially at right angles to each other, whereb a raised edge is provided around said bla e with the exception of the squared peripheral end of the same. It is thus, in efiect, a scooping bowlshaped blade, adapted to scoop up the material during rotation and carry it upward,

as well as to push it along, until it is permitted to drop laterally from the lateral extension of the blades 17 when said blades are in the uppermost position. Thus it will be seen, the flanged edges insure that the material shall be raised in addition to being cut through by the blades.

. Owlng to the shape and arrangement of the hollowed blades, the material will not only be lifted thereby approximately to the height attained by the blades when rotating,

but in dropping-from the blades the material will be carried laterally by the lateral extension of the same and thus, as already men-. tioned, moved from end to end of the mix ing chamber. Also, the blades have a tendency to throw the material lengthwise of the chamber during the upper portion of their travel. All this is true of the end blades 16, as well as, the blades 17. ,As a

result of. this carrying, dropping. and throw-- when that is done.

Returning, now from this elevatingand aerating action of the blades on the material to their action in agitating the material and mixing its ingredients together, it will be seen that as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the blades 16 and 17 in each end of the mixing chamber are canted so as to move the material toward the. center of the; chamber. The cant of the blades with reference to the axis of rotation, as shown more specially in Fig. 1, insures them a certain amount of cutting action, besides their longitudinal movement of the material, so as to out asphalt mixes effectively. The cant of the blades radially with reference to the periphery of the chamber (especially their marginal portions adjacent the periphery) assists in lifting and'scraping material from its wall, and obviates-any tendency of the mineral aggregate in the mixture to jam the blades. Moreover, a plurality of the blades 17 are disposed on opposite sides of the center of the mixing chamber 1, in the present instance in sets of three, and so disposed that when one set is in contact with the material, the other set (at the opposite 'side of the shaft 10) is moving upward. As the blades 16, 17 are oppositely inclined or canted with reference to the axis of rotation10 in opposite ends of the mixing chamber, it follows that while the blades at one endtend to move the material in one direction toward the other end, the other blades tend to move it in the opposite direction,--both movements being toward and across the center of the 7 bla esto act upon. At the same time, theblades leave the axial region of the chamber substamtially' free and clear. While, as shown in Fig. 1, the blades are ranged lengthwise to substantially cover the entire length of the'chamber in their revolution, yet their; leading edges, nevertheless, .are'

fully and freely exposed, so as to cut through asphaltic' mixes effectually, especially adjacent the tank periphery. As shown inFig. 2, the gaps between the blades circumferentially are free and clear from the central region to the tank periphery. As already mentioned, the lateral extension of each blade 16 or 17 delivers material from each directly in front of another toward the midreg'ion of the chamber. For each set of blades, moreover, the order of succession in which they come into action is in the direction inwhich the material is to be moved 5 the chamber toward its provide a discharge opening 25, normally closed by a door or gate26, which preferably follows the contour of the mixing chamber 1, and this door may be operated by a lever 27, pivoted at 28, with its short end 27* connected to the door by-a toggle link 29.

It will be at once apparent that with blades 17 which tend to push and throw the material toward the center of the mixing chamber 1 and at the same time lift it, such material will not only be thoroughly agitated and mixed, but may be discharged from the mixing chamber as soon as the door or gate 26 is opened,the lower edge of the opening being sufliciently close to the bottom of the chamber (they. still substantially above it) to permit the blades 17 to elevate the material out through the same, for de livery to a suitable receptacle such as wheelbarrow. or other collector, by which it may be carried to any desired point.

While I have referred to my improved mixin machine as intended for mixin i b road-building material and for coating the mineral ingredients thereof with an asphaltic or bituminous binding agent, vitmay be employed for the mixing of concrete or other material without departing from myinvention. v I

Iclaim:

1. A horizontal mixing machine of the character described, comprising a mixing tank with oppositely acting, angularly distributed, inclined revolving eripheral scoop-shaped mixing bladesin r s ends, at opposite sides of the axis of rotation; said blades leaving the axial regionof the tank substantially clear, and having their lead ing edgesfully and freely exposed so as to cut through asphaltic mixes effectually.

2. A horizontal mixing machine of the character describedycomprising a mixing tank with oppositely acting, angularly distributed. inclined revolving scoop-shaped mixing blades in its ends, at opposite'sides of the axis of rotation; said blades being ranged lengthwise to substantially cover the tank length in their revolution, but having intervals between them, circumferentially, substantially free and clear to the tank periphery, and having their leading edges fully and freely exposed to cut through material adjacent the periphery.

3. A horizontal mixing machine of the character described, comprising a mixing tank with oppositely acting, angularly distributed, revolving scoop-shaped mixing blades in itsends. at opposite sides of the axis of rotation; the blades in each end of thetank being canted with reference to the tank periphery as well as with respect to the axis of rotation, so as to pickup material and obviate jamming thereof, as well as to propel it toward the opposite end of the tank-into the path of the oppositely acting blades there.

4. A horizontal mixing machine of the character described, comprising a mixing tank with oppositely acting, angularly distributed revolving/ peripheral scoop-shaped mixing blades in its ends, at opposite sides of the axis of rotation; said blades leaving 7 the axial region of the tank substantially clear and being canted with reference to the tank periphery as well as with respect to the axis of rotation, and having their 7 leading edges fully and freely exposed so as 30 to cut through asphaltic mixes effectually.

5. A horizontal mixing machine of the character described, comprising a mixing tank with oppositely acting revolving scoopshaped mixing blades in its ends, at opposite sides of the axis of rotation; said blades being ranged lengthwise to substantially cover the tank length in their revolution, but having intervals between them, c-ircumferentially, substantially freev n clear to the tank periphery, and being canted with reference to the tank periphery as well as with respect to the axis of rotat1on.

6. A horizontal mixing machine of the character described, comprising a tankwith a longitudinal revolving shaft; angularly distributed arms carried by said shaft, at

opposite sides thereof in opposite ends of the tank, with oppositely acting peripheral scoop-shaped mixing blades carried by said arms; said blades being canted with refer ence' to the tank periphery, so as toscrape and lift material therefrom, as well as with reference to the tank axis, so as to propel material lengthwise of. the tank.

7. .A horizontal mixing machine of the character. described, comprising a, mixing tank with oppositely acting. inclined revolving scoop-shaped mixing blades. in its ends, at opposite sides of the axis of rotation; H said. blades being ranged lengthwise tov substantially cover the tank length in their revolution and distributed angularly to act in succession from each end of the tank toward its middle, with intervals between them, circumferentially, substantially free and clear to the tank. periphery.

8. A horizontal mixing machine of the character described, comprising a mixing tank and oppositely acting, inclined scoopshaped revolving peripheral mixing blades in its ends, at opposite sides of the axis of rotatiomf'orm'ed and. arranged to scrape the material up at their outer edges and to dis tank and oppositely acting, inclined scoopshaped revolving peripheral mixing blades in its ends, at opposite sides of the axis of rotation, formed and arranged to scrape the material up at their outer edges and to discharge it inward and toward the longitudinal mid-region of the Y tank as they revolve; together with scoop-shaped revolving bladesformed and arranged to scrape material from the tank ends and'to discharge it inward and toward the mid-region.

10. A horizontal mixing machine of the character described, comprising a tank and oppositely acting, angularly distributed, inclined revolvin mixing blades in its ends, at opposite si es of the axis of rotation; said blades being ranged lengthwise to substantially cover the tank length with their peripheral edges, and having lateral exten- "sions adjacentthe axis of rotation for dehvering mater1al-from one in front of an other toward the mid-region of the tank as they revolve; so that the blades in each end of thetank propel material across its midregion into the path of those in its other end.

11 .(A horizontal mixing machine of the character described, comprising a mixing tank and oppositely acting, inclined, scoopshaped revolving mixing blades in its ends,

at opposite sides of the axis of rotation; the

blades in each end of the tank hav ng bowl- .shaped lateral extensions towar the other end thereof, adjacent the axis of rotation;

12. A horizontal mixing machine of the character described, comprising a mixing tank and oppositely acting, angularly dis-' tributed, scoop-shaped revolving perlpheral mixing blades in its ends, at opposite sides of the axis of rotation, canted with reference to the tank periphery as well as with respect to saidaxis, and having bowl-shaped lateral extensions toward the longitudinal mid-region of the tank adjacent said axis. f

13. A mixing machine of the character described, comprising a mixing tank with scoop-shaped revolving blades acting to move material to its mid-region, and a discharge door at the mid-region of the tank, substantially above its bottom, to which the material is lifted by the upward motion of the revolving blades.

14. A mixing macliine of the character described, comprising a mixing tank with revolving blades acting to move material to its mid-re ion, and an outward swinging discharge oor at the mid-region ofthe tank,

substantially above its bottom, to which the material is lifted by the upward motion of the revolving blades.

15. A horizontal mixing machine of. the Y character described, comprising a mixing tank and oppositely acting inclined re'volving mixing scoop-s aped'blades in its ends, at opposite sides of the axis ofv rotation, the blades in each end thus propelling material across the mid-region of the tank into the path of those in its other end; with a discharge door at the mid-region of the tank, substantially above its bottom, to which the material is lifted by the upward motion of above its bottom, to which the material is lifted by the upward motion of the revolving blades.

'17. 'A horizontal mixing machine of the character described, comprising a mixing tank and oppositely acting, inclined, scoopshaped revolving mixing blades in its ends, at opposite sides and adjustably mounted relative to the axis of rotation; the blades in each end of the tank having bowl-shaped lateral extensions toward the other end there of. adjacent the axis of rotation.

In witness whereof: I. have signed this specification. v THOMAS J. BARRETT. 

